Writer Arnold Bennett said, “any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by discomforts''.
As we waved goodbye to the building that SKR called home for over 30 years, those ‘discomforts' were very present in our bittersweet farewell in September.
The foundation of my real estate career was laid 16 years ago when I walked into the office as a mere kid in my early 20s. Anyone who visited the office during the 90s/00s remembers the teal desks and decor, lines of cubicles and a bubbly ‘SK’ logo; oh, and those diamond shaped ‘for sale’ signs! Suzi Karr was my third interviewer as I searched for a place to hang my newly minted license and she ended up being my last; as I canceled all my interviews thereafter. The idea of learning from the best in the business and being part of a local, community centric brokerage was an easy decision for me, rather than being just another number in a large, nationally branded firm.
2011 brought my first change when Castle & Cooke purchased the business from Suzi. This brought us Bob Hennen as the new broker. The logos changed, management changed, paint colors changed and even some processes changed. However, not even being owned by a corporate entity changed the culture of this boutique, local brokerage. This was a true reflection of leadership and the ideology that real estate, as a service, is best accomplished on the local level.
2021 brought more change, as I was named managing broker and subsequently, I acquired Suzi Karr Realty two years later.
But the story of this building is about more than me and its most recent occupants. Whether you remember the property as a filling station, bank or real estate office, I have personally seen it used for Town committee meetings, as an information resource, for community outreach and let’s not forget wakeboarding Santa! (I think to myself: remember that time that Inside Edition reporter posed as a buyer in an attempt to get to a famous golfer). And some of the best real estate agents and brokers were spawned from this building.
As I reflect though, I believe the building is just a vessel. The building did not make the people, but the people the building. Their leadership, their sense of community and camaraderie, and the aforementioned ideology of how real estate should be practiced is what made that building a home for me.
Excitement rolls in as I think about the future. A new building for myself, my agents, our customers and our town. A place for new experiences and where new memories can be made. No matter the change - the building, the paint, the logo - our local, community driven business model shall not waiver.
I never thought I would quote Semisonic, but: “every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end”.
I can’t wait to invite you to our new home in 2024.
